ANOTHER VIEW: Either set example or we’ll suck it up

Sunday

It would seem a bit hypocritical that a society so deeply concerned about the teen vaping epidemic would be passing laws to make pot smoking legal.

We’re not sending the right messages, folks.

Last week, it was reported that the nation’s top health authorities agree that teen vaping is an epidemic that now affects some 3.6 million underage users of Juul and other e-cigarettes. But no one seems to know the best way to help teenagers who may be addicted to nicotine that the e-smokes deliver.

Meanwhile, the legalization of recreational marijuana continues to grow across the nation. It’s now legal in 10 states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington — and the District of Columbia.

Eight other states, including New York, are considering it. While that’s a discussion for another day, we really need to consider the mixed message being sent here, which is essentially, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Legal or illegal, consenting adult or clueless child, sucking foreign substances into your lungs — with the exception of respiratory medications — just doesn’t seem like a very smart thing to do.

But monkey-see, monkey-do.

E-cigarettes are now the top high-risk substance used by teenagers, according to the latest U.S. figures, which show that these products have quickly outpaced cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana and other substances that have been tracked over more than four decades.

On one hand, the government spends inordinate amounts of time trying to keep e-cigarettes away from kids, then gives its blessing to other substances that likewise come with health risks. It makes no sense.

To be sure, vaping should be a concern. The latest craze is a product called Juul. The battery-powered device — about the size of a flash drive — creates a vapor by heating up liquid- filled cartridges that is then inhaled. The battery that powers it can be recharged on a laptop in just one hour. Juul even comes in flavors like cool mint, crème brulee and fruit medley and can be used so discreetly that kids can suck it up right in class. One in five high schoolers reported vaping in the last month, according to 2018 federal survey figures.

The product is made for and legally available only to adults 18 and older, but it’s also being used by kids and teenagers younger than 18. Some children as young as 11 are using it and becoming addicted to nicotine.

The International Business Times reported that each Juul cartridge, which lasts for close to 200 puffs, has as much nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes. And while some adolescents should be able to quit unaided, experts say kicking any addiction requires discipline, patience and a willingness to follow a treatment plan — something that doesn’t come easily to many young people. Many will be hampered by withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating and loss of appetite.

But once again, money talks.

Since debuting in the U.S. in 2007, e-cigarettes and other vaping devices have grown into a $6.6 billion business, according to the Associated Press. And as long as we’re willing to sell our souls and until we set a better example, we’ll continue to suffer the consequences.

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